Guard Duty
by Rachel McN
Summary: A Purple Dragon is on guard duty. And he may be developing a conscience.


**A/N:** Wow, I've been away for far too long. Oops. Just...life, you know. Wonder if anyone still cares at this point xD Regardless, I found some documents on my computer that were never posted. So let's clear these out, yeah? Still been reading/faving/alerting, branching out my fandom interests, and like to think I might have learned/picked up the odd thing from reading those with great writing skills and ideas. I'll tidy up my old stories, dust off these files and post them before I lose nerve (again) and maybe write out some of the ideas that keep swimming round my head but don't get the justice of writing they deserve (just a quick note jotted down to keep them alive). If anyone's still interested, then...wow, what did I do to deserve people like you? And to any new readers; hello, welcome, thanks for popping on by and I hope to see you around again ^^  
>Any and all criticsm and advice is welcome, I think I'd like to start taking my writing more seriously now that I have a calm(ish) period of my life right now, so show me what you got!<p>

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><p>Guard Duty.<p>

Again.

I honestly think I'd rather spend a night behind bars.

But I joke with my friends, wave them of as they head home, partying, or wherever they're headed.

And then I'm alone again. With **it**.

I yank at the rusted locks, sliding the bolts home. The warehouse is in pitch black now, but I prefer it that way.

When it's dark, we can both pretend we're alone. Can both pretend we're nowhere near each other.

Why the heck am I taking it's feelings into account along with my own?

We've been told over and over.

It's an animal.

Just another god-forsaken animal.

Like a stray dog.

Wait, I don't like that imagery. Dogs have sharp teeth, and will bite back at you if you kick 'em.

Cat then.

I fumble my way over to the stack of boxes filled with weapon supplies. Another advantage of the bolts and locks is that those other creatures will have a hard time getting in if they find the place.

I know Hun considers using it as bait to catch the others. And sometimes, sitting there watching it, I don't know what hurts it more.

The knowledge that it's being used as bait for its own kind – or the fact that they haven't showed.

I've seen what they do to it. From stringing it up like a rag doll, streaming electricity through it; to strapping it to a table, pumping god-knows-what into it's blood…just to see how loudly it will scream.

They caught it at the junkyard. It tried to flee, but they roped and darted it. Make a big show telling that story, too.

All it shows is pain and fear. I can't blame it. That's all it's known in a long while.

I've heard it crying sometimes, at night when it thinks it's alone; too scared to show us any weakness. I swear one time I saw tears in its eyes, before it noticed I was there, and shot me a look intense enough to kill.

I know they're intelligent. Fought them often enough to be sure. But I don't think I ever heard of this one killing anyone.

One of them caught me last week – one of the "turtles", "green freaks", "animals"…call them what you will. The orange one, thank god, or I wouldn't be here right now. They're tearing the city to pieces I've heard. Looking for him. The one they lost.

Sometimes folk claim there's even a giant rat with them; but after everything I've seen, I'm still able to tell a lie from truth. Come on – a giant rat! Even if there was one, it would be dead in weeks. Ain't got a protective shell or anything.

They took it to 'the cage' once. So weak it could hardly move, let alone defend itself. Then they threw it in. I had to laugh and jeer along with the rest, but I so wanted to leave.

I remember it looked at me. Its terror was obvious. It seemed to be screaming out for help. I bet if they had told it to beg, it would have in an instant. But what could I do, caught in the crowd? I ain't that high in the Purple Dragon chain that I could just…let it go.

I've considered freeing it, somehow chasing it away – like it would need a reason to leave. I've considered pretending that the others found it, came for it. Pretending they fought me and won.

And then I consider if anyone finds it before it's so called "family" does. I consider what will happen to me if it's found to be alone. And weirdly, I consider what will happen to it. Him. Whatever.

The doors bang back on the locks, making me jump. I can feel my heart racing as I grab one of the guns near me, slowly creeping closer to the door. I keep my finger close to the panic button on the phone I was given.

I swallow, and carefully put my eye to a small gap in the woodwork.

Finally I let loose my held breath.

"Wind. Just the wind." I tell myself quietly.

The creature in the small cage just whimpers in response.

When I get back to my seat on the wooden boxes, I relax, sighing. I close my eyes, fighting sleep, but seeing no real reason to.

I hear it trying to move in the small space it's been given. I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from feeling anything for it.

'_Stupid conscience'_ I growl to myself, fighting the urge to go over and comfort it like I would a little kid.

_Animal_, I chant to myself, _animal, animal_.

God, this is boring.

I've taken to rolling an empty beer can with my foot.

_Clink, Clink_

It's all I can hear in this place. Even the thing in the cage is silent tonight

_Clink, Clink_

First thing I'm gonna' do tomorrow, is go out to the pet shop, and buy my little sister that pup she's always wanted.

_Clink, Clink_

Make up for yelling at her yesterday.

_Clink, Clink_

You know, I think this sound's making me loopy in the head.

_Clink, Clink_

My girlfriend'll like that. It'll make her think I'm all sweet.

_Clink, Clink_

I gotta' quit this place.

_Clink, Clink_

Too dangerous. Thinking o' settling down, you know. Couple a' kids running about the place.

_Clink, Clink_

But first, I've gotta' get through tonight without becoming bored to death.

_Clink, Chink, Clink_

I rest my head back against the wooden boxes. My eyes begin to droop.

_Chink, Chink, Chink_

My eyes flutter beneath my lids. I can't be bothered with getting scared by some random noise again tonight. Probably just a bloody bird anyways.

_Chink...Chink..._

The chain. Dam wind.

Chink

Creak

What a minute. The wind couldn't –

I've dropped to my knees. I'm screaming.

My fingers dance over the handle whose metal is inside me.

Footsteps. Darkness...I'm gone...


End file.
